A House Natural Resources subcommittee will hold a hearing this week to discuss a roster of wildlife and conservation bills.
The Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee will consider the “Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026,” H.R. 7159, which intends to modify the Lacey Act related to captive wildlife.
Backed by Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.), the bill would allow the transportation of “prohibited” species to and from “foreign entities” and remove protections for snow leopards, clouded leopards and subsequent hybrids.
Joe Exotic, known as the “Tiger King,” was convicted in 2020, in part, for violating the Lacey Act after falsifying records and killing tigers. Exotic also breached the Endangered Species Act and was embroiled in a murder-for-hire plot.
